NASA to give $750,000 to Ozark IC for high-temperature electronics project
by May 25, 2020 9:12 am 1,142 views
Fayetteville-based electronics manufacturer Ozark Integrated Circuits Inc. will receive $750,000 from NASA as part of a project to develop electronic systems that can withstand extreme temperatures.
The two-year phase II research and development award will allow Ozark IC to develop a high-temperature packaging and multi-chip processor system that is capable of long-term operation at nearly 900 degrees — a vital component for Venus exploration and many other applications, including military and aerospace companies addressing jet and hypersonic engine needs.
The Friday (May 23) announcement for the federal funding comes a day after Ozark IC was awarded a $206,494 grant for a nuclear energy project.
The $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research award will allow the company to continue its work on a processor and packaging system. Phase I of the project started in fall 2019 and was completed with successful results.
Ozark IC will create the first 500-degree Celsius RISC-V multi-chip system in a package as a way to illustrate the techniques, design procedures and the multi-chip package with high-temperature components that go into creating a high-temperature electronic system. The integrated circuit technology that will be used to create the RISC-V microprocessor is the NASA Glenn Research Center silicon carbide JFET-R integrated circuit process that is under license by Ozark IC. The integrated circuit components of the microprocessor system will be created at NASA Glenn in Cleveland.
Ozark IC will design the processor and the multi-chip package and test the complete 500-degree Celsius RISC-V microprocessor. The heterogeneous chip integration system is the first of its kind for extreme high-temperature operation and is the newest and most complex demonstration of the technology that Ozark IC has been developing for extreme temperature operation, according to a news release.
“Ozark IC’s work is an excellent example of the innovative and breakthrough research happening in the Third District,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers. “The technology they are developing has the opportunity to support space exploration and improve jet and hypersonic engine capabilities. This award reflects the importance of these revolutionary systems, and it’s great to see NASA build its research partnerships in the Natural State.”
“The Arkansas Economic Development Commission is proud to have been a part of Ozark IC’s journey for several years,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “Being selected for a phase II award from NASA is a great honor, and we are extremely proud of the contributions that Ozark IC is making in the state’s tech sector as well as to the international scientific community.”
Established in 2011, Ozark IC develops analog, mixed-signal and signal processing integrated circuits for use in extreme conditions experienced in energy exploration, aerospace, space exploration and industrial controls. It creates hardware and software, integrated circuits and packaging.